Gravity grain-separator



(No Model.)

Jn. W. MORRISON. Gravity Grain .'Spuarator- I No. 242,67?.` Patented June 7,1881.

` WITNESS NA Pmns. mwumagnpn". wn-hingm :n.c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES w. MOEEIsONOE OLINTON, ILLINOIS.

GRAVITY GRAIN-SEPARATO-R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,677', dated June *7, 1881.I j

Application filed May 17, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it 'may concern Be it known that I, JAMES W. MORRISON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gllnton, in the county of De Witt and State of Illinois,vhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gravity Grain-Separators; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or ligures Of reference Inarked thereon, which form' a part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of grainseparators in which the grain and other materials mixed therewith, when received from the thrasher, are separated from each other, solely because of their different weights or specific gravity, by means of upward drafts or currents of air passing to a draftfan and discharged therefrom ina Well-known manner. The wheat and different foreign grains, as well as ber, dust, cheat, smut-balls, chaff, 85o., all possess their several and distinct weights to a given bulk, and the weight of the wheat is well determined from the weight of the cockie-cham cheatpand other material suitable for cattlefood, and both of the species of material above named are greatly diferent in specific gravity from the dust, dirt, line fiber, and smutballs, which are totally worthless and unsuited for animal-food.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine of simple construction that will be light, so that it may be easily carried about, and that may be run with such ease that its driving-crank may be turned by hand for a. long period without tiring the operator, and at the same time serve to effectually separate the wheat from the chaff and cheat, and, furthermore, separate from both materials the dirt, dust, smut-balls, and other impurities, and drive them` away from lthe machine with the escaping air; and the invention consists in the construction and arrangemen of parts, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

III the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of a machine constructed accordin g to my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical section of thesame through the draft-tube; and

Fig. 3, a detached sectional view ofthe upper portion of the air-tube and gravity-chamber, showing a slight change in the position ofthe parts.

The machineis supported upon a rectangular frame, A, the upper portion of which is incased to form a hopper, B, with sloping walls, to direct the material to an opening or mouth, b, at the lower corner and at one side of the hopper. The Opening at the mouth b is increased` or diminished or entirely closed by a sliding valve, C, arranged to slide against the bottom of the hopper, and operated upon by a hand-lever, D, projecting to the outside of the frame and within convenient reach of the operator. A vertical draft-tube, E, is secured to the frame in such manner that its lower end shall be opposite a spout, b', leading from the mouth of the hopper, and the sides of the tube will project above and over the frame to form a suitable air-space for a gravity-chamber, which will communicate with the eye f of the chamber of an exhaust-fan, F, secured against the upper projectin g end ofthe draft-tube, and also rests upon and is supported by the main frame ofthe machine. The fan-chamber F is provided with a fan, F', of `wellknown construction, and is driven bygearing f f2 and crank-handle F2. The inner wall, E', of the draft-tube extends vertically from a point op posite the mouth of the hopper, and terminates a sufficient distance below the cap or cover G of the air-chamber to allow the draft and material carried with it topass over the partition and through the opening e into the adjoining -gravity-chalnberH or airchamber G', that communicat-es with the fan. The gravity-chamber H is funnel-shaped, and its neck or lower portion, H', communicates, by an opening, h, with a spout, I, to conduct the material falling into it away from the machine. The partition H2, between the gravity-ch amber and fan-ch amber, is inclined toward the upper end of the fanchamber, sothat its outer edge will be slightly above the upper end of the eye f of the fanchamber, thus forming a hopper or funnel shaped gravity-chamber, wider at its upper than at its lower end or neck, to allow ample space for the material carried over and around with the draft to be fully settled and. weighed before passing on to the fanchamber.

IOO

In order to intercept the chaff, cheat, and similar light materials as they are carried over the upper end of the partition E and prevent them from beingcarried past the gravity-chamber into the fan-chamber, a screen, K, is placed diagonally across the air-chamber G', so that its upper edge will rest against and form a radius to the inner curved surface of the cap G and its lower edge be a sufficient distance inside, and aboutin line with, the upper edge of the partition H2 to leave an opening, g, between them, through which the air-draft and lightest impurities may pass on without further interception to the fan-chamber and away from the machine. The openings e g and the eye f of the fan are nearly in line with each other, so that the air-current in its passage from the draft-tube to the fan-chamber is not materially deflected from its most direct course, and the strength of the draft is not impaired by numerous deector-boards,that wouldch'oke or throttle the draft andcause a greatly increased speed to be given the fan to perform its work and additional labor to the operator. The area of the passage g below the screen is not sufficient to allow all the air to the full capacity ofthe fan to pass through it, so that when driven at a rapid speed the excess of air drawn into the fan that cannot readily pass through the opening g Will be supplied .through the screen K, causing the material carried over by the draft to follow the surface of the screen and eXpo-e itself to the complete action of the draft to free it from light impurities that are unsuited for animal-food. When the screenings will have reached the lower edge of the screen K their momentum will have been suftciently arrested to canse them to drop into the chaff-box or gravity-chamber H.

It will be readily seen that the screen K and partition H2 are placed in such relation to each yother and to t-he eye of the fan-chamber that a portion of the draft to the fan-chamber will at all times pass through the screen, even when the fan is running slowlyl The screen K rests at its lower edge upon notched blocks 7c, secured to the walls of the air-chamber, so that the upper edge may be moved around upon the arc of a circle to which the inner surface of the cap G conforms, so that the angle of the screen K in the air-chamber may be varied to cause an increased or decreased obstruction to the air-currents in their passage to the eye of the fan-chamber, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The upper edge ofthe screen is held in place by pins 7c ,placed in the side walls of the air-chamber at suitable intervals. By placing the screen in a more nearly vertical position the material carried over with the draft will be deflected more directly, and will not be so readily carried through the opening g into the fan-chamber.

The cover G is hinged at g to the upper end of the draft-tube, and provided with a felt packing to form an air-tight joint, and may be readily opened to change the position or remove the screen.

A good effect may be obtained by substituting an imperforate partition or deector for the screen K, when desired.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a gravity grain-separator, the combination of the vertical draft-tube E, a gravitychamber, H, communicating with the drafttube by an opening above the partition E arranged between them andprovided with an outwardly-inclined partition H2, the inclined deileclor K, extending from a point above the partition E to a point opposite the upper edge of the partition H2, so that air-passages e g are left between the partition and the detlector, and a fan-chamber with its eye arranged relatively to said airpassages,substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a gravity grain-separator, the combination of the vertical draft-tube E, gravitychamber H, air-chamber G, and a deiiector, K, adjustable at its upper edge and arranged across the air-chan1ber, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a gravity grain-separator, the combination of the vertical draft-tube, the gravitychamber, the air-chamber, the screen-partition',`and a removable cap or cover provided with an air-tight packing to afford access to the screen, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. i

JAMES W. MORRISON.

Witnesses:

JAMES O. MOLEAN, JOHN A. EDMIsToN. 

